This invention relates to electrical switches and, more particularly, to such switches including a domed diaphragm of a resilient electrically conductive material which is arranged to function as a semi-stable spring.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the diaphragm is arranged as a Belleville spring. A useful feature of Belleville springs is that by suitable choice of dimension (as set forth in the design book entitled Spring Design and Application, Chironis, Mc Graw-Hill, publishers), they can be made to have a region of negative spring rate operation which, in a switch, may be utilized to provide snap action. It is to be understood however that the feature of snap action is not essential to the present invention.